Background In steroid-refractory acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC), cyclosporine (CYS) or infliximab (IFX) may be considered as a second-line alternative to avoid colectomy. There are short-term data reported, but until now, there is no meta-analysis regarding long-term outcomes of CYS and IFX in patients with ASUC. Aim To compare long-term efficacy and safety of CYS and IFX in a meta-analysis. Methods Three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched for studies which compared CYS vs. IFX in adults with ASUC. Long-term colectomy-free rate from 1 to 10 years during CYS or IFX therapy was collected, last updated up to 22nd May 2019. Primary outcome was long-term colectomy-free rate, secondary outcomes were adverse events (AE), serious adverse events (SAE), and mortality. Long-term colectomy-free survival and safety measures were pooled with the random-effect model. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Data from © 2020 Szemes, Soós, Hegyi, Farkas, Erős, Erőss, Mezősi, Szakács, Márta and Sarlós.Aging is commonly defined as the time-dependent functional decline of organs and tissues. Average life expectancy has increased considerably over the past century and is estimated to increase even further, consequently also the interest in understanding the aging processes. Although aging is not a disease, it is the major risk factor for the development of many chronic diseases. Pathologies, such as Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) are cholestatic liver diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, biliary damage and ultimately liver fibrosis, targeting specifically cholangiocytes. To date, the influence of aging in these biliary diseases is not fully understood. Currently, liver transplantation is the only solution because of lacking in efficiently therapies. Although liver cells have a high regenerative capacity, they undergo extensive molecular changes in response to aging. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/PD-0332991.html Following time-dependent damage induced by aging, the cells initially activate protective compensatory processes that, if hyperstimulated, can lead to the decline of regenerative ability and the development of pathologies. Recent studies have introduced novel therapeutic tools for cholangiopathies that have showed to have promising potential as novel therapies for PSC and PBC and for the development of new drugs. The recent advancements in understanding of molecular aging have undoubtedly the potential to unveil new pathways for selective drug treatments, but further studies are needed to deepen their knowledge. Copyright © 2020 Pinto, Ninfole, Benedetti, Maroni and Marzioni.Background Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) remains a major worldwide healthcare problem, despite its progressive decline in developed countries. The aims of our study were to estimate the prevalence of ARF among adolescents in Israel and to investigate risk factors. Methods The study population consisted of 113,671 consecutive conscripts 16-19 years old, born during 1971-1993, who completed the medical profiling as part of the recruitment process to the IDF. ARF was diagnosed according to Jones criteria at time of illness, with confirmation relying on medical documentation and cardiologist evaluation including echocardiography. Results The general prevalence rate of ARF was 0.12%. A downward trend was observed, from 0.19% among those born during 1971-1980 to 0.07% among those born during 1981-1993. Differences in prevalence of ARF were noted in sub-populations based on country of birth and origin-Israel, Ethiopia and the former soviet union (FUSSR). The prevalence rates of valvar disease among ARF+ and ARF- recruits were 15.7% and 0.95%, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, 4 variables were negatively associated with ARF later birth year group, female gender, rural residence, youngest child; and 3 were positively associated with ARF young parents, above normal BMI and valvar disease. Conclusion Our study provides support for the documented decline in ARF prevalence and describes socio-demographic and anthropometric risk factors including the association with valvar disease and novel risk factors including above normal BMI and young parents, both warranting further investigation which might help in developing societal level prevention strategies. Copyright © 2020 Machluf, Chaiter, Farkash, Sebbag and Fink.Prior evidence suggests that the choice of antihypertensive medication may influence functional status among older adults with hypertension, particularly in conjunction with exercise. In particular, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have shown potential to positively influence function. However, randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm this hypothesis. This paper outlines an RCT designed to determine if choice of first-line antihypertensive medication influences functional and cardiovascular risk factor responses to exercise among older adults with hypertension. Two hundred and thirteen inactive, community-dwelling adults ?60 years of age with hypertension and functional limitations will be recruited to engage in a 32-week intervention study. Participants will be randomized to one of three first-line antihypertensive agents (1) the ACE inhibitor perindopril, (2) the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, or (3) the thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). Six weeks after randomization, participants will begin a 20-week structured aerobic exercise intervention. Participants will perform two 45-min center-based sessions coupled with 60 min of home-based walking per week. The primary aim is to determine if perindopril improves self-paced gait speed when compared with losartan and HCTZ. The secondary aim is to determine the relative effect of perindopril on secondary outcomes such as (a) exercise capacity, (b) body mass and composition, and (c) circulating indices of cardiovascular risk. This RCT is expected to identify differential effects of first-line antihypertensive medications when combined with physical exercise thus have potential implications for antihypertensive prescription guidelines for older adults. Clinical Trial Registration www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03295734. Copyright © 2020 Harper, Baptista, Roberts, Wherry, Boxer, Hildreth, Seay, Allman, Carter, Aban, Kohrt and Buford.